Grade Eight

Grade Eight Learning Objectives

MAIN LESSON SKILLS

Analyzing Historical and Cultural Movements, Deepening Capacity for Judgment, Formalized Testing

LANGUAGE ARTS

Grammar and Composition, Creative Writing, Spelling, Reading, Report Writing, Original Business Writing, Note-Taking Skills, Researching, Newspaper Reporting, Drama, Epic-Dramatic Poetry, Literary Forms, Elements of Style, Shakespeare, Literature Analysis

LITERATURE & HISTORY

American History, Washington State History, Modern Events, Life and Work of Shakespeare, Folklore of the World, Industrial Revolution

MATHEMATICS

Number Bases, Pythagorean Theorem, Mensuration, Percentages and Growth, proportions, dimensional analysis, algebra.

WORLD GEOGRAPHY

Surveys of Landforms, Ocean Currents, Atmosphere, Climates

WORLD LANGUAGE

Japanese and Spanish (Conversational, Literature, Grammar and Vocabulary)

HANDWORK

Machine Sewing, Commercial Pattern Reading, Garment & Quilting Construction

PRACTICAL ARTS

Woodworking

MUSIC

Recorder, Singing, Orchestra, Band, Chorus (Elizabethan Song, Negro Spirituals)

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Intramural team sports, movement class and cooperative movement games, Aikido

SCIENCES

Physics, Chemistry, Physiology, Geography

ART

Painting, Drawing, 3D Constructions (Platonic Solids), Clay Sculpture, and Other Media

In eighth grade at Bright Water Waldorf School, students deepen their connection to the world and, through that journey, come to know themselves. They are encouraged to take greater responsibility for their learning and embark on a path of self-discovery, highlighted by the "eighth grade project" focused on community service. As students transition from childhood to adolescence, teachers strive to illuminate their thinking and foster independence.

In Main Lesson, students delve into the role of government in society, studying the American, French, and Russian revolutions, and exploring various economic systems. They pay particular attention to the Industrial Age and the lives of workers during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Their study of the United States, enriched by years of history lessons, becomes an exercise in critical thinking and understanding the nation's principles.

Geographic studies are rounded out by examining the physical, cultural, and economic aspects of Asia and Africa, bringing students face-to-face with the complexities of the modern world.

In literature, students engage with novels, biographies, short stories, and poetry related to their Main Lesson work. They discuss current events, learn the art of debate, and explore different writing styles and moods. Poetry is emphasized through dramatic and lyric styles, ballads, and the use of similes, metaphors, and adjectives. Speech, recitation, drama, and the eighth grade play continue to be integral parts of their development.

Students refine their grammar, punctuation, and writing skills, expanding their abilities to include formal research reports as part of their eighth-grade project. Public speaking is polished as they present their discoveries and artistic endeavors to the school community.

In mathematics, students build on the foundations laid in seventh grade, tackling advanced topics such as signed numbers, binomials, and quadratic equations. They explore the theories behind the five Platonic Solids in geometry, constructing them in paper and clay, and work with three-dimensional figures to calculate perimeter, area, and volume.

Science continues with a phenomenological approach, where experiment and discovery precede theoretical explanations. This method sharpens their observational skills, a cornerstone for meaningful scientific work. The curriculum includes in-depth studies of human anatomy, organic chemistry, physics, and meteorology. Students explore the human body's bones, muscles, brain, and nervous system, delve into the chemistry of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids, and continue their exploration of physics, hydrodynamics, and aerodynamics. Meteorology lessons help them understand the sun's influence on Earth's climate and water cycle, while also reflecting on their own "internal weather" or moods.

Practical skills are honed in woodwork, where students build boxes with dove-tail joints, and in handwork, where they master the sewing machine.

By graduation, Bright Water Waldorf School eighth graders have not only gained a solid academic foundation but also a profound sense of self and a network of relationships that will support them throughout life.